E.—4.

3

No. 3. Report of the Medical Officer. Sir,— Christchurch, 6th June, 1901. I have the honour to report that the health of the pupils at the Deaf-mute Institute has been very good during the past year. We still labour under a great difficulty in finding accommodation for the sickness which occasionally occurs, as the buildings at present used are sadly overcrowded. There is no spare room or even spare bed for a sick pupil, so that any infectious case could not be isolated at once, and if such illness occurred it might spread through the school. We rented a cottage for this purpose last year, but the good people of Sumner drove us out of it. Eight of the girls are boarded in private houses. The clothes of the pupils are provided by their parents, but are in some cases insufficient. I found yesterday eight girls without flannel underclothing suffering from coughs and colds. I recommend that in such cases the Matron should have authority to supply the deficiency. I find that the amount of milk used is only four and a half gallons a day, which allows about half a pint per head. I recommend that at least a pint of milk be allowed per head, in addition to 1 oz. of cream, as this is cheaper and as effective as cod-liver oil. There is a lack of variety in the dietary, and I have repeatedly tried to remedy this, but the Matron says it is impossible to get a cook who will take the necessary trouble. I have, &c, W. H. Stmes, M.D., The Secretary for Education, Wellington. Medical Officer.

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